Cunningham will be able to take comfort from the way he came through a difficult draw in Paris. He beat Tokyo bronze medallist Rafael Alba in the quarter-finals, followed by world champion and 2016 Rio gold medallist Cheick Sallah Cisse in the last four.
While he may be disappointed with silver, there are high hopes for Cunningham, with two-time Olympic bronze medallist Bianca Walkden describing him as the “future of the sport”.
Aged 10, Cunningham decided to find a sport he would excel at and win an Olympic medal in, opting for taekwondo, external after a conversation with his dad, a former champion kickboxer.
He won his first senior medal aged just 17, claiming -87kg silver at the Spanish Open in April 2021.
Since then, he has added European +87kg gold – which he won on his debut at the event in May this year – to his tally, along with gold in last year’s Rome Grand Prix and silver in Paris.
Cunningham suffered a six-month lay-off in 2022 after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the first round of the World Championships.
Remarkably, he continued the fight – and won.
A part-time model, he cuts a relaxed figure – asked what he would do to prepare for the fight, he said he would “chill, eat a banana, drink, smile and warm up”.
